Best Higher Education Administration Schools Near McAllen, TX

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

McAllen, Texas has 1 accredited school offering higher education administration programs. McAllen has a population of about 143,789. Median household income is $60,165 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $99,550 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to McAllen

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer higher education administration programs near McAllen, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from McAllen city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from McAllen. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Edinburg, TX 7.5 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,620
Avg net price $4,831/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

The University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, TX 233.5 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,131
Avg net price $10,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 120

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Texas State University

San Marcos, TX 254.1 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,906
Avg net price $16,805/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Houston Christian University

Houston, TX 292.1 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,933
Avg net price $20,629/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

University of Houston

Houston, TX 299.7 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,377
Avg net price $14,276/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 150

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Texas A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX 325.3 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,097
Avg net price $21,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Texas A&M University-Central Texas

Killeen, TX 335.2 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Avg net price $1,300/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

Belton, TX 338.2 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,132
Avg net price $26,106/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Texas schools on the Texas higher education administration page.

Higher Education Administration Wages Near McAllen

McAllen is part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area (BLS area code 32580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $99,550 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $115,891
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $80,390 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $93,586
Instructional Coordinators $81,890 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $95,332
Training and Development Specialists $48,260 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $56,182
Education Administrators, All Other $55,090 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $64,133
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $76,460 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $89,010
Social and Community Service Managers $63,130 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $73,492
Human Resources Specialists $53,600 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $62,398

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

McAllen at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 143,789 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $60,165 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 85.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other McAllen-Area Cities With Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited higher education administration schools are near McAllen, TX?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs near McAllen. The closest is The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, TX (7.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (7.5 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying higher education administration roles near McAllen?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near McAllen are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($99,550), Instructional Coordinators ($81,890), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors ($80,390). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Pharr instead of McAllen?

Pharr, TX is 4.9 miles from McAllen and has its own set of local higher education administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is McAllen an affordable place to study higher education administration?

McAllen’s median household income of $60,165 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in McAllen while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Higher Education Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in McAllen

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for McAllen:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Higher Education Administration Schools in Texas (2026)